Grief Therapy

A sudden, accidental, unexpected or traumatic death shatters the world as we know it. This is often a loss that does not make sense. We realize that life is not always fair and that sometimes bad things happen to good people. This new and uncomfortable awareness leaves us feeling shaken, unsure and vulnerable.

Death, due to a sudden or traumatic event, can raise a number of complex issues for bereaved parents, siblings, grandparents, family and friends. The grief process following a sudden loss is very different from an expected or anticipated death.

The grief response following sudden loss is often intensified since there was little or no opportunity to prepare for the loss, to say good-bye, to finish unfinished-business or to prepare for bereavement. This type of loss can generate intense grief responses such as:

denial, disbelief and shock

feelings of intense anger and guilt

vast emotions of despair and hopelessness.

A search for meaning in the loss can challenge your religious and spiritual beliefs. Sudden losses, in particular, can precipitate an existential crisis in a survivor because the survivor starts questioning internal belief systems and values. Life’s activities, which were important the week prior to the event, abruptly seem unimportant and trivial. Survivors are forced to look at and to re-evaluate life priorities.

Sudden losses, like all losses, are very distinct and are likely to affect survivors in many different ways. One cannot compare loss. The greatest loss is the one that the grieving person is suffering. Each loss creates its own unique issues.

I provide a respectful, supportive, and confidential environment in which you can safely disclose your inner thoughts and feelings of grief.